Stocking supporter



I'snnentor (Ittomegs July 25, 1933- N. D. LEVIN STOCKING SUPPORTER Filed Aug. 17, 1931 Patented July 25 1933 I i UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE, I

mils n. EVIN, 0F COLUMBUS, OHIO srocxmo fsurron'rnn Application filed August 1 7, 19; Serial n. 557,697.

is a fault with many of the supporters now on the market; which will automatically dispose' its partscomfortably to the=body ofthe wearer; and which will equalize during the move- 10 ments of ,the wearer .to maintain equal pull on the stockings. V

Theobject of the invention is accomplished by providing suitable supporters suspended from a'hanger device which in turn' is sus-' tained at the crotch of the-trousers or other garment of the user in such manner that the devicewill maintain stockings .inproper position without interfering in an way' with the comfort ofmhe wearer,and I urthermore without in any way disturbingthe setof the clothing. 3 i

i {In order-thatthe invention may be understood clearly by those skilled in the art, I have shown in the accompanying drawing oneembodiment of my invention, andthat 'theibestnowknown to me, although :it will beunderstood thatlthis disclosure is merely illustrative and ,in no sense restrictive, and

that such changes as are,within the rangeofmechanical 5 skill and design. may :be made without departing irom the range of my invention as'defineddn the appended claims.

in the drawing r the device in conventional position.-

"Figure 2;is. a viewiincross section on substantially.thesline.2,v2 of Figure 1 to show thecrotch hanger. j

Figure 3gis a sectional viewof-the crotch hanger to show 1 the hanger proper, 1 its protective covering, and the freely running loop of: the supporter in-the hanger, l Figure etis an elevational view of a slightly a different type of crotch hanger.

numbers indicatinglike parts in the several Figure :1 is a view inperspective showing,

views, 10 indicates the stocking engaging members which may be of any known or suitable design, provided with the usual or appro priate'clip device 11 to engagetlie stocking." As here shown, the stocking engaging members 10 are the well-known type of support designed for supporting stockings by a single strand member and without encircling the limbs," the lower clip-11 being attached, as stated, to the stockings, while theupper clip 12, in this form of garter, is intendedto be attached to a body garment. The objection to this typelof garter is that] it does not sufiif c iently-support the stocking or maintain it 1n proper position, and it creates; a drag at two different points on thebody garment to which" the upper 'clips 12 are secured, tending to distort or'displace the garment from its normal position."

Secured tov the upper ends'of the stocking engaging members 10 are flexible sustaining strips 13,,and while these may be secured in any suitable manner, it may be convenientl y done by fasteningthem to the upper clip members 12 so that the parts may be readily detached-for renewal if desired; The flexe ible sustaining strips 13 will be preferably secured adjustably to the clips-12 of the'stock ing engaging'members 10, and any suitable adjustment'maybe used, that adjustment, as 80 here shown, being secured by passing the lower ends of the strips 13 about the post of theclosed clip and tying'or otherwise securingthe ends of the strips 13in the proper position of adjustment, it being understood that the, stocking engaging members 10' are elastic, and-further adjustment can be securedby means of the adjusting buckles 14' for the members10 so that the device, as a whole' will have two points of adjustment, eitheror both ofwhich maybeutilized. l The flexible strips 13 arepreferably end portions of a'continuou s stri "which is looped at its top andpassed-throug a crotch 'hanger- 15 made up in any suitable manner, as here; shown being made of a metal tube 16 covered with a'rubber envelope 'or'tube 17,"tlie ends ofwhich projectbelow the metal tube so as to enclose and protect the wearer fr om contact with all metal parts. This crotch hanger hanger outwardly or compressing them to;

give the desired angle.

The connections between the sustaining members 13 and the stockingengaging members 10 may, of course, be varied within wide limits, another convenient form of connection belng shown in F igure 6, inwlnch a clip 18 clamps a portion of the stocking engaging member 10 and the strip 13 together, as shown. I

.The use and operation of the device will be clear from Figure 1.

The crotch'hanger 15 being placed in'position soas to be supported at the crotch of the-garment, the flexible sustaining members 13 will pass downwardly along the inside of the legs of the wearer to the stocking engaging members 10, to the upper ends of which they are secured. The lower clips 11 are preferably engaged with the inside of the stockings so that the stocking engaging and flexible sustaining members will lie in straight lines along'the inside of the legs of the-wearer. After the suitable adjustments are made for length, they need not be again disturbed until stretching incident to wear occurs, and then the take-up maybe made by adjusting the length either at the point where the flexible strips 13 engage the upper clips 12 or at the adjustable buckles 14 on the elastic stocking engaging memberslO, or both.

It will be seen that the device is of such construction that no discomfort is occasioned to the-wearer, for the crotch hanger 15 is so devised and protected that it will not interfere in any way with the convenience of the user, and itsadjustability widthwise by bending or compressing it permits the depending parts carried by it to be directed as to their lines of pull so as to meet the needs of the wearer; Furthermore, the free play of the end loop of the flexible sustaining members 13 permits the parts to move. and equalize in response to the movements of the wearer andprevents undue strain either on the crotch hanger or the stocking supporting members. As here shown the flexible sustaining members 13 are round in cross section so that they can turn or swivel in the crotch hanger 15 and permit the stoekingengaging members 10,.here shown as flat strips, to adjust themselves to the leg and lie flatly and comfortably thereon. Furthermore, such round form ofthe strips 13 prevent any twisting into folds, as would be the case with flat -strips,ewith consequent discomfort to' the wearer.

' In Figures 4: and 5 I have shown a modification of the crotch hanger heretofore described, although embodying'the same general principle, a .I V I so as topermit expansion or compression of the crotch hanger. As hereshown, the piece 19 is flat, and secured to its edges by stitching or in any suitable manner is an envelope 20 of fabric, which preferably entirely surrounds the piece 19 so that it cannot contact with the wearer, and the fabric envelope 20 also is preferably extended beyond the ends of the piece 19, as shown in Figure 4.

\Vhile I have shown and described a metal crotch hanger, it will be understood that such hanger may be made of other'materials such as hard rubber, bakelite or other. synthetic resinous compounds, or indurated fiber molded to proper size and form. A i 1 As pointed out, I do not limit myself to the exact disclosure hereis'hown insofar as that disclosure may be varied Within the limits of mechanical skill and design.

I claim: 7 v

.1. A stocking supporter of the type adapted to be suspended by the crotch of the trousers of the wearer, and having portions extending downwardly of each leg thereof for attachment to each stocking, said supporter comprising a rigid'hanger member of material having a-lowcoefiicient of friction, a round, elongated cord-like strip of flexible material threaded through said hanger member for free sliding movement therethrough, an elastic strip at each end of said first-strip, and stocking engaging means secured'to the. lower ends of each of said elastic strips, said rigid member of material having alow coeflicient of friction serving to facilitate sliding movement of said cord-like strip there:

through,"whereby said supporter may adjust itself automatically according to various .pos-' tures assumed by the wearenw.

2. A stocking supporter of the type adapt ed to be suspended by thecrotch of the trou-. sers of the wearer, and having portions extending downwardly of each leg thereoffor attachment to each stocking,-said supporter comprising a rigid hollow, tubular hanger adjust itself automaticallyaccording to "various postures assumed by the wearer.

3. A stocking supporter of the type adapted to be suspended by the crotch of the trousers of thewearer and having portions extending downwardly of each leg thereof for attachment to each stocking, said supporter comprising a rigid tubular hangermember of hard'smooth material and having a tubular interior strip supporting surface, an elongated, round, cord-like stripof flexible material slidably supported on said interior surface of said hanger for free sliding movement thereover, elastic members at each end i of said cord-like strip, and stocking engaging meansat the lower end of each of said members, said hard and smooth surface of said hanger member serving to facilitate sliding movement of said strip thereover, whereby said supporter may adjust itself automati cally according tovarious postures assumed by the wearer.

stocking supporter of the type, adapted to be suspended by the crotch of thethrough, elastic members attached to the respective ends of saidcord, and stockingengaging means at the lower end of each of said elastic members, said metal hanger serving to facilitate sliding movement of said cord therethrough, whereby said supporter may adjust itself automatically according to various postures assumed by the wearer. Y Y

5. A stocking supporter v of the type adapted tobe suspended by the crotch of the trousers of the Wearer andhaving portions extending downwardly of each leg thereof for attachment to each stocking, said sup-f porter comprising a tubular metal hanger member having an inverted V-shape,.an elongated round cord of flexible material disposed through said hanger member for free sliding movement,v flat ribbon-like elastic members I connected to opposite ends of said cord, and stocking engaging means at the lowerejnd of each of said members, said metal hanger servingto facilitateslidingmovement of said strip thereover,.whereby said supporter'may adjust itself automatically according to various posturesassumed by the wearer.

NILS D. LEVIN.

b os 

